Kidneys Going Cheap in Poor Estate Community

TALAWAKELE, Sri Lanka, Feb 10 2016 (IPS) - One and half years ago, Johnson, a 20- something youth, hailing from Sri Lanka’s tea plantations, received an unusual request. The caller, someone Johnson knew casually, made an offer for his kidney. “It was for a half a million rupees (around US $3,500),” he said.

Rajendaran, a 24 year-old beggar at the Talawakele railway station who gets regular requests for his kidney but has so far refused. Credit: Amantha Perera/IPS

Johnson thought for a while and agreed. Mired in poverty and without a permanent job, half million was something he could only dream about till then. Soon he admitted himself into a private hospital in the capital city, Colombo, about 170 km from his native Talawakele. Neither did Johnson know anyone there nor was he familiar with the sprawling urban maze.

After several tests, his kidney was deemed compatible with a 41 year-old man from the north of Sri Lanka, the only detail Johnson knew of the man who now has his kidney. From the time he got admitted, Johnson was well taken care of by his initial caller, a middle man. To those who were curious, he was advised to tell them that he was a relative of the kidney patient. No one asked, Johnson said later.

Johnson stayed in the hospital for several days after the operation. When he returned home, he was provided a vehicle. But the benevolence ended there. For days Johnson went to the bank and checked his account. No monies had been credited. Nervous, he called the middle man; the number returned a message that said it had been disconnected.

He visited the man’s residence, only to be told that he had moved out and was now overseas. “I did not receive a cent for my kidney,” a desperate Johnson told IPS. He suspects that the middle man did in fact get the cash, but decamped with it.

Johnson’s story may be unusual in other segments of Sri Lanka society that are richer and savvier. But among the estate community in the central hills, selling a kidney has now become a frequent tale of woe.

Mahendran, a 53 year-old father of four, is also a victim of the same racket. He received a request for his organ while working as a helper at a rich household. It was the same modus operandi: a middle man, known a little but not that much, approached Mahendran, made the play for the kidney and got his consent.

Both thereafter travelled to Colombo, where Mahendran like Johnson was a fish out of water. At the hospital he was asked to pretend to be a relative of the patient. Mahendran also got played out after he had parted with his kidney. “I was promised Rs 150,000 ($1,050) and paid Rs 10,000 ($70).”

Mahendran told IPS that he initially balked at selling his organs, but finally gave way because of abject poverty. “I have four children to look after, that was why I did it,” he said.

Now with one kidney, he can’t work hard and earn as much as he used to. Two of his eldest kids, two boys have now dropped out of school.

Both men said that poverty was the main factor behind their decision. Sri Lanka’s plantations, where the island’s popular tea is grown, has been mired in poverty. According to the Government’s Census and Statistics Department, over 15 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, in some areas the rate is close to 30 per cent.

However, there are no statistics on the large-scale trafficking racket. Officers at the Talawakele Police station say that they have heard about the sale of the kidneys but no complaints have been lodged.

There could be several reasons for the lack of police complaints. Both Mahendran and Johnson told IPS that they have now become the butt-end of village jokes. Another is that according to Sri Lanka’s Penal Code anyone who sells an organ faces a jail term of seven years.

Clearly, this issue warrants closer investigation. Prabash Karunanayake, a doctor at the Lindula hospital in Talawakele has had to regularly admonish villagers who have sought advice on parting with a kidney. “In recent days I have had to warn at least three persons on the dangers they court by doing this,” he added.

Another one who has had to deal with such offers is Rajendaran, a 24 year-old beggar, who lives and begs at the Talawakele railway station. He said that several people have made offers for his kidney which he says have now become routine. “I have refused all of them so far. I don’t want to make a complaint because these are dangerous people.”

Kanapathi Kanagaraja, a member of the Central Provincial Council, feels that before the sale of kidneys acquires larger proportions, the government should take decisive action to stem it. “We will take this up at provincial level, but it warrants national level attention.”

Prathiba Mahanama, the former head of the national Human Rights Commission said that till national level programmes are launched, the most effective deterrent is public awareness. That is a view that Karunanayake, the area doctor, also agrees on. “Right now because people don’t know the medical dangers, the sale of kidneys is purely a financial transaction. People are unscrupulously making such offers because they know that at the right price, a kidney can be bought.”

Related Tags

Noor Nizam – Canada.

In the name of God AllMighty, do not cover up this scandal. I beg the MEDIA to keep on writing/publishing about this inhuman trading of human organs till the President intervenes at his level to arrest this CRIME of the ELITE and POWERFUL. There are many powerful and elite society including politicians and medical professionals who have used their lobbying power and influence to either stalemate this scandal report again or block the facts by trying to submit a fake report. Look at how the Deputy Minister of Health and Indigenous medicine and Nutrition (SLMC) MP Faizal Cassaim lied in parliament yesterday saying that there was NO committee appointed by the previous regime, when indeed a committee of from the Directorate of Private Health Sector Development comprising its Director Dr. Kanthi Ariyaratne and Deputy Director Dr. A.I. Jagoda that probed this same issue in April 2014. This report was later swept under the carpet at the ministry of health and indigenous medicine the same.

Thanks God that the media, especially Derana.lk, and lankaweb.com even in the face of threats on other issues have been a champion in bring this out to the public and giving an opportunity for sensible, factual, statistical and researched comments to be presented in this forum which has also been referred to HE. The President, it is rumoured and the reason for it to be handed for CID/Police investigations. As a longstanding SLFP Stalwart since 1969, I have the fullest confidence that HE. President Maithripala Sirisena will make sure that no political or money power will cloud the Police/CID inquiries and the culprits will go scotch free at the end, because, there is no-confidence in the 5 member committee appointed by the Hon. Minister of Health to have produced a fair report as they are all from the medical profession (Doctors) who are also in private practice, it is suspected. The Hon. Minister should have appointed a committee of senior public service administrators with a representative of the legal profession and one member of the medical profession from the private medical sector.

This scandal by the medical profession (not all) is the biggest inhuman undertakings that has ever been brought to light by the Indian police and the Media in Sri Lanka. I hope that this will also end up like the culprits being arrested in the Embilipitiya police murder case. All those involved,whatever person he or she is, whatever community they belong and how famous they may be in the medical profession or how close they are to the Hon. Minister of Health, they must be arrested and brought before the law and punished severely in accordance to the civil and criminal laws that apply to such crimes. Noor Nizam. Peace and Political Activist and Political Communication Researcher and longstanding SLFP Stalwart.

luwiss morris

DAVE GRAY HOSPITAL is looking for kidney donors,Very urgently. B ve , O ve and A ve with India passports/ Voters card or Pan-card and age should be more than 22 years. Interested people contact me at Email: luwiss.morris@gmail.com

DAVE GRAY HOSPITAL INDIA, Are you seeking for an opportunity to sell your kidney for money due to financial break down and we shall offer you $220,000.00 USD for your Kidney. My name is Doctor Luwiss Morris,Contact Number: +917411369891 OR Email (luwiss.morris@gmail.com)

James francis

Here comes an Affordable way that will change your life for ever, Candler Hospital Savannah India,are urgently in need of (SPERM DONORS ONLY INDIA CITIZENS CAN APPLY.) for the sum of $100,000.00 USD, Contact Dr.Jame Francis. now on email for more details.(fjames076@gmail.com ) or call: +919036544071